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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200940">you and i can go when the night gets dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbelievably62/pseuds/unbelievably62'>unbelievably62</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:55:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,132</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25200940</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/unbelievably62/pseuds/unbelievably62</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Three weeks after the defeat of Horde Prime, Glimmer and Bow are in desperate need of a break. Escaping to the shores of Mystacor, the pair finally have a chance to reflect on the past few weeks. Things that have been buried for a while finally surface, and they face them together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bow/Glimmer (She-Ra)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>you and i can go when the night gets dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>i love them both &lt;3</p>
<p>there are a lot of tears in this ngl so get ready!! but they are necessary tears! and tears aren't always all that bad. processing emotions and thoughts is important, and it's always nice to be able to do that with the people / person you love and trust most :) and all is good in the end so hopefully that makes up for the deluge of tears haha</p>
<p>title is from 'Take A Break' from Hamilton (very fitting haha)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Glimmer rests her head on Bow's shoulder, sighing contentedly. His head comes to rest on top of hers. They were both sitting on a mat, leaning against the cliff and nestled together beneath a small overhang. Their legs were stretched out towards the cloud waves of Mystacor, which were lapping gently against the shore. </p>
<p>"This is nice," Glimmer sighs again. </p>
<p>"Mm hmm," Bow replies, his voice sounding sleepy already. </p>
<p>Glimmer chuckles at that, poking him lightly in the ribs. "Hey, don't fall asleep. There was no point going out for this night picnic if we could have just done the same in my room or yours."</p>
<p>"I know, I know, but the food the kitchen prepared for us was so good and I'm so full. I think it might be a food coma." </p>
<p>Glimmer rolls her eyes fondly at her boyfriend. <em> Boyfriend. </em> It's been three weeks since She-Ra vanquished Horde Prime for good, but the word still feels weird on her tongue. <em> Being </em> with him, however, didn't feel weird at all. In fact, it felt as natural as it could be, and Glimmer couldn't love it more. She couldn't love <em> Bow </em> more than she already does. </p>
<p>Still, being able to just spend time with each other, with no other pressing commitments or concerns hanging over their heads, feels pretty novel. They've both been rushed off their feet since the war ended, focusing on rebuilding Etheria - both the place and its people. </p>
<p>It had gotten to the point where a few days ago, Glimmer had suddenly burst into tears the moment everyone had exited the meeting room. Bow, worried that Glimmer didn't appear among the people walking past him outside the room, had tentatively knocked and entered the room. Only to find Glimmer slouched against a corner of the room on the floor, her head on her knees and her arms wrapped tightly around her legs, shoulders shaking violently with her sobs. He had, of course, rushed towards her without a word and wrapped her in his arms, as she buried her face in his shoulder and cried until she had nothing left to cry. </p>
<p>Eventually, she had pulled away and slumped against the wall, her face red and blotchy as she swiped ineffectively at her cheeks. Bow had a murmured a quick, "I'll be right back," and rushed out of the room. He came back holding a towel and Glimmer couldn't help but chuckle wetly as she accepted the towel, taking her time as she cleaned her face. Bow moved to sit next to her against the wall. Once she was done, he held out a glass of water that she hadn't noticed previously and she had taken a few grateful gulps of the blessedly cool liquid. Eventually, she set the glass aside, hugged the towel bundle close to her chest, and rested her head against Bow's shoulder, burying even closer to him as she felt his arm come up around her shoulders. She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head, and then felt his thumb gently stroke her upper arm. </p>
<p>"What happened?" he had asked. </p>
<p>And that was all it took for all of it to come tumbling out of her. How she was so stressed, so <em> tired </em>, how there was so much to do, yet so little time, how everyone was relying on her and she couldn't let them down, and about resource allocation and trauma assessment and manpower distribution and there was always so much on her mind and she couldn't sleep. Throughout her tirade, a few tears had made its way down her cheeks again and the towel came into use again. </p>
<p>That was when Bow made the executive decision to "book" a night off, a night where neither he nor Glimmer were to be disturbed short of an extreme emergency. When he had suggested the idea to her and she agreed, they had both run it past Micah, now Brightmoon's Royal Advisor, who immediately and wholeheartedly agreed. </p>
<p>The poor man was distraught that he hadn't caught on to his daughter's distress earlier, or stepped in more firmly to suggest rethinking her rather ambitious initial plans. There were apologies all around from both, him for being so afraid to overstep his boundaries in an attempt to avoid being an overbearing father, and her for not relying on him and his years of experience as King more. </p>
<p>They had hugged, pulling in Bow who had been standing to the side, listening in. Then they all sat down to discuss a more feasible and realistic timeline for the rebuilding plans.</p>
<p>And that was how they found themselves relaxing along the beach that night. Their position now mirrors the position they were in on that fateful afternoon in the meeting room, but instead of tears and worry, they were filled with peace - taking in the sound of the waves and the gentle caress of the night breeze against their faces. </p>
<p>"I feel like it's been forever since we've been able to just...chill. Just the two of us. Together," Glimmer's contented voice breaks the silence that has fallen over them. </p>
<p><em> That's very true</em>, Bow thinks. For the past three weeks they've barely had the chance to really take a moment to pause and enjoy each other's company. Either they met at meals together where they were always on their way to some appointment or the other, or they stumbled together into Bow's room late at night, barely able to keep themselves awake. (They were only sharing Bow's room instead of Glimmer's because they were too lazy to reinstall the floating platforms leading up to her stupidly high bed.) </p>
<p>Although admittedly, on some nights they had been less tired than others, and that often led to...well, other stuff. Bow feels his face heat up as memories flashed through his mind, unbidden. This part of their relationship still felt awkward, somehow. Well, talking or thinking about it was a bit awkward. The action part of it was...nice. Glorious. Amazing. </p>
<p>Bow stops his dangerous train of thought before it can go any further down the path, and shifts his attention to the sweet smell of the waves instead. He takes a deep breath, and then breathes out in an attempt to calm his racing heart. To be honest, he probably needed this break almost as much as Glimmer had. If he had continued the way he had been working for a week more, the roles would probably have been reversed in the meeting room. It was good to slow down, take a break when they needed it. </p>
<p>He looks down at Glimmer, who has closed her eyes and has a gentle smile on her face. He's familiar enough with her breathing patterns to know that she's not sleeping. She was probably doing the same as him - taking the opportunity to just think about nothing for a while. He shifts his attention to the feel of her in his arms and can't help smiling at how everything feels just right. Just perfect. His beautiful Glimmer. Strong, stubborn, quick-tempered. Smart, adorable, loving. His heart feels full at the thought that they had all the time in the world now to just enjoy being with each other. </p>
<p>Waking up to the feel of her soft, luscious curves pressed against him, her messy mop of hair tickling his nose. To hear her grumbling and groaning as he plies her awake with soft, languid kisses. Laughing over breakfast together, knees nudging each other beneath the table. Watching her in action during meetings, feeling proud as she continues to grow and learn on her journey of queendom. Cuddling together during the rare five-minute pockets of time they managed to steal at various points in the day. Curling up to her as they both fall asleep, gazing in wonderment at her beauty, breathless and catching their breaths together. Feeling their bare legs tangling beneath the covers as they shift closer to each other. </p>
<p>Appreciating her, loving her as she deserves to be. For the rest of her life, if he can help it.</p>
<p><em> The thing is</em>, his traitorous mind suddenly supplies, <em> it wasn't always like this, was it? </em> There was a time when they all thought their hours, their minutes were numbered. A time when he held her to him as tightly as he could, desperate to memorize the feel of her against him in his arms, the sound of her breathing, the softness of her skin one last time. Hot tears had flowed down their cheeks, leaving tracks in the dirt and grime on their faces. When the planet literally cracked at its seams, the green light shining from below, all he could think about was that there wasn't enough time. He needed more time in the world. He needed more time with her. This couldn't be the end. It couldn't be. He needed more time. More-</p>
<p>"Bow, what's going on?" Glimmer's panicked voice broke through his thoughts, and Bow startles to find that he's been holding her hand in a steadily tightening grip. He gasps. </p>
<p>"Glimmer, I'm so sorry-" he begins, when he realises his voice is shakier than usual. And then he registers the wetness on his face. He looks into her eyes, concern shining through them. He holds her gaze for a few seconds, mouth trying to find the words he can't seem to say, before his face crumples and he suddenly finds himself enveloped in her arms. </p>
<p>She's gotten up to kneel in front of him, a leg on either side of his and he presses his face against her chest, feeling the cotton of her new dress rubbing against it. One of her arms is around his shoulders, the other hand cradling his head. His arms wind around her waist, pulling her in tightly as he feels the wetness continue to pour from his eyes. He isn't as violent a crier as Glimmer, but his shoulders still shake with every shuddering breath he lets out. </p>
<p>Glimmer presses her cheek against the top of his head, her hand stroking the back of his neck in long, calming strokes. She closes her eyes. She's seen Bow cry before, of course, but she's always been able to identify what caused the tears. This is the first time she's seen him break so suddenly, and it scares her. </p>
<p>After a while, she feels his breaths grow steadier, even as the tears continue to soak her dress. She decides to stay quiet, stroking his back gently now as she gives him space. She knows he will talk when he's ready, when he feels that he can get his words out without choking on them. He's mentioned before that he hates feeling incoherent, and being unable to get his sentences out properly will just make him feel even more rubbish that he probably already is at that point. </p>
<p>She hears him take a deep breath, and knows he's ready. She loosens her grip on him. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what just happened. I probably scared you," he finally says, his voice wet as he leans back to look up at her. </p>
<p>"A bit," she admits, shifting to settle properly on his legs. Her hands come up to cradle his face, thumbs wiping away the wetness still on his face. "But you have absolutely nothing to be sorry for." </p>
<p>"Thanks," he whispers, before clearing his throat. "It's just- I'm not sure why or how but I suddenly started thinking about...about that time when we reunited on the battle ground after I managed to disrupt Horde Prime's signal. When we all thought we were gonna... that- that we were-" He takes a deep breath. "That we were gonna die," he finishes, his voice cracking on the last word. </p>
<p>Glimmer inhales sharply. They've never had the chance to talk about this before. She nods, encouraging him to continue. </p>
<p>"I just suddenly realized that...that I may have lost you then. That we may never have reached this point where we are now. There may have been a possibility where you and I may never have had the chance to be together. A time where we thought we had no more time left," he says, his voice growing stronger with each phrase. </p>
<p>Glimmer is crying silently now, a tear rolling down her cheek. His hands come around to grasp hers, giving it as squeeze. </p>
<p>"I don't ever want to lose you, Glimmer," he continues, softer now. "You're my best friend. I love you so much. I want to spend as much time with you as possible."</p>
<p>"Oh, Bow," she whispers, his vulnerability prompting her to reply honestly as well. "I was so scared too. I felt like I couldn't lose you, especially not after we had just found each other again." She pauses, taking in a deep breath before she looks up at him and a gentle smile crosses her face. "But we have time now. We have all the time in the world. We could be together forever and ever if we wanted to." </p>
<p>Her smile causes a small one to break across his face too, as his hand comes up to wipe away the stray tear from under her eye. "I want to." </p>
<p>"That's good to hear," she sniffles, chuckling a bit as she wipes the wetness beneath her chin and his. </p>
<p>"I'm sorry I suddenly brought down the mood. I know we're here to relax and all-"</p>
<p>"Hey," she interrupts him gently. "Don't apologize for that. Tonight was about us just being together. And I will take it, whatever form it takes," she finishes by kissing him on the corner of his mouth.</p>
<p>She continues, "Besides, aren't you the one who always says that we should let our feelings out, talk about it and stuff?" </p>
<p>He laughs lightly at that. "That's true." </p>
<p>"Well there you have it," she shrugs. "Just take your own advice." She smiles teasingly at him. </p>
<p>He smiles back, before his smile drops a bit and he says, "I've never told anyone that before. About what I was thinking and feeling during those moments."</p>
<p>"Me neither." </p>
<p>"I guess we should check in with each other more often then, huh?"</p>
<p>She huffs gently. "Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Her hand cradles his cheek, and he nuzzles against it. </p>
<p>"So what about you? How are you feeling, really? Any thoughts or feelings to share?" he murmurs. </p>
<p>"Well, I mean, you already saw me break down the other afternoon," she can't help but chuckle softly as she thinks about what a sight she must have been. The hand that was on his cheek slides down to hold on to one of his hands on her lap. "I think...it all just came about because I was trying to do too much at once. In my head, in order to be a good queen, I had to get everything back off the ground as quickly as possible. But now I'm learning that while there are some things that are super urgent and important, there are others that can come later and can take their time once the higher priority stuff has settled a bit more. I'm definitely coping much better now." </p>
<p>"Hmm. Sounds like you've been learning a lot from your dad."</p>
<p>"Yeah." She looks away and her voice is suddenly much softer than before. "I don't want to be a bad queen again. I don't want to ruin people's lives like I did before."</p>
<p>"Hey," he says gently, bending his head to try catch her gaze. "Don't call yourself a 'bad queen'. Sure, you made some unwise decisions but you were under a lot of pressure and the situation was extremely dire. You had just lost your mom, you were new to the whole thing and there wasn't anyone there who could give you good guidance. Calling yourself 'bad' implies that you will always stay that way forever. But I don't think so. I mean, you have your dad now, and you're learning so much from him everyday. You're learning to listen more, to think about other options more, to be more measured. I see all of that everyday, and I never said it before, but I'm so proud of you. You're getting better everyday and I'm so, so proud of how much you're growing." </p>
<p>Sometime during his speech she had turned to meet his eyes, hers sparkling with unshed tears. "You really think so?" she asks tremulously. </p>
<p>Bow nods resolutely, a gentle smile gracing his face. She exhales sharply, running her thumbs underneath her eyes to catch the tears before they fall and her lips break into a shy smile. She buries her face in his neck, taking comfort in the steady <em> thump thump thump </em> of his pulse that she can feel against her temple.  </p>
<p>"Thank you for saying that," she whispers.</p>
<p>"You're welcome. I'm just saying what I think is the truth, though," he whispers back. </p>
<p>She laughs lightly at that, leaning back to look at him properly. </p>
<p>He sighs. "I love you, Glimmer."</p>
<p>"I love you too," she replies, her eyes shining as bright as the stars in the sky. </p>
<p>They press their foreheads together, breathing each other in. Eventually Bow tilts his head, capturing her lips in a reverent, lingering kiss. They break apart with a light smack, and Glimmer briefly looks up at him before she closes the gap between them again. </p>
<p>This kiss is longer, deeper, and it's some time before they both break apart again, breathlessly smiling. Both of Glimmer's arms have found its way around his neck, whereas one of his arms has snaked around her waist, and his other hand is cupping her face, thumb making slow arcs across the apple of her cheeks.</p>
<p>Bow opens his eyes to find that Glimmer still has hers closed, a dreamy expression on her face. He can't help but giggle. "You okay, Princess?"</p>
<p>She finally opens her eyes. "Oh, you are so good at that. And it's Queen, by the way," she replies, poking a finger at his chest.</p>
<p>"Whoops, sorry Your Majesty," he grins. </p>
<p>"Anyway, I think it's time we headed back home, hm?" </p>
<p>"Really? But the night is still young-"</p>
<p>"<em> Exactly </em>," she whispers, a devilish smirk crossing her face. One of her eyebrows lifts meaningfully. </p>
<p>"Oh. <em> Oh. </em> Yes- yes, it's time," he stutters, his heart skipping a beat at the sight. She can't help but chortle at his reaction, delighted to see that she can affect him that way.</p>
<p>She gets up, and they both get to work hurriedly packing the stuff they had brought with them on their picnic, stuffing their feet into their shoes. </p>
<p>She grabs his hand, they smile at each other, and they both disappear in a glow of light.</p>
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